Swiiiing! Where to find hidden tree swings along SoCal’s hiking trails

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, March 16. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• Where to find hidden tree swings along SoCal’s hiking trails.
• The L.A. Marathon is tomorrow. Here are the road closures to avoid.
• The challenge: Trek from Carson City to Canada. You could make $5,000.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Where to find hidden tree swings along SoCal’s hiking trails

Do you remember this amazing activity from your youth? You plop on a seat (or an old tire), grab hold of two ropes and hoist your body back and forth.

That’s right. In today’s newsletter, I want to cover swings, and the couple from Downey that has been secretly putting them up on hiking trails across SoCal. In the last year, Jen Grosky and Keith Shelter have put up swings on countless different trails.

Now we can finally map out their work. Times contributor Raef Harrison put together a list of 15 SoCal hiking trails where the couple put up tree swings.

After going on a hike near their home one weekend, the couple walked by a tree with a swing hanging from its branches near the trail. The sight of it hit a nostalgic chord that stuck with them and sparked the idea to put up swings on their favorite trails.

“We wanted it to be a little surprise moment for people. Something for them to discover on the trails,” Grosky said.

The trick to finding perfect swing-ready trails? The Bureau of Land Management doesn’t require permits for swings, so the couple focuses on trails it manages. They also look for trails that aren’t too challenging but are harder than an easy stroll.

To help spread the word, drop location hints and share other hikers’ discoveries of the swings, they’ve started an Instagram account, @HikerSwing.

I found a swing while hiking in San Diego back in 2021, but this was long before the couple made them ubiquitous. I can confirm, though, that hopping on a swing will bring you joy.

Times multiplatform editor Kevinisha Walker sits on a swing at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in San Diego.

(Kevinisha Walker)

Here are just a few trails with hidden swings that the couple has put up around SoCal:

Cherry Canyon Park Trail

A photograph of a tree with a swing from Cherry Canyon hiking trail.

(Jes Grosky)

Nestled in the San Rafael Hills near La Cañada Flintridge, the Cherry Canyon Park Trail is perfect for entry-level hikers or anyone just starting out. It’s also the location of the first swing that Grosky and Shelter put up! “We chose this trail for the cool mountain views and nice paved trails at some points for an easy hike,” Grosky says.

Fryman Canyon Trailhead

A photograph of a tree with a swing on the Fryman Canyon hiking trail.

(Jes Grosky)

An alternative to the more crowded Runyon Canyon nearby, Fryman is nestled in the Hollywood Hills above Studio City and West Hollywood. The trail is considered an easy loop, but does include some elevation gain.

Eaton Canyon Falls

A photograph of a tree with a swing from the Eaton Canyon hiking trail.

(Jes Grosky)

This Pasadena trail captivates with its diverse scenery, guiding hikers through shaded canyons and sun-kissed slopes. As the path unfolds, the majestic San Gabriel Mountains loom in the backdrop.

Millard Canyon Falls

A photograph of a swing on a tree on the Millard Falls hiking trail.

(Jes Grosky)

This mountain trail located in the scenic foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Altadena is great for families and on-leash dogs. As you make your way up the trail, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains before you reach the waterfalls.

The week’s biggest stories

The Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif.

(Ben Margot / Associated Press)

Crime and courts

• The new warden is ousted as the FBI raids a California women’s prison known as the ‘rape club.’
• Soldiers and civilians are dying as Mexican cartels embrace a terrifying new weapon: Land mines.
• Fani Willis can stay on the Georgia Trump case only if her former romantic partner leaves, a judge says.
• Roman Polanski’s civil trial is set for August 2025 in a child rape case.

Kate Middleton saga

• As with Diana and Meghan, palace missteps in the Kate Middleton saga spark a royal crisis.
• A doctored photo of Kate Middleton is a credibility blow for a royal family in crisis.

More big stories

• After a writer expressed sympathy for Israelis in an essay, all hell broke loose at a literary journal.
• Israel’s religious right has a clear plan for Gaza: ‘We are occupying, deporting and settling.’
• All the best and worst moments of the 2024 Oscars, as they happened.
• Rams superstar Aaron Donald announces he’ll retire.
• Realtors agree to make commission changes in a deal that could reduce costs for consumers.
• The L.A. Marathon is tomorrow. Here are the road closures to avoid.

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Out-squatted: Handyman Flash Shelton will squat with your squatters — until they leave. As squatting becomes more of an issue in Southern California, a man named Flash Shelton has taken on the alias of the “Squatter Hunter,” offering to remove squatters with a variety of strategies, even squatting alongside them at times.

More great reads

• She’s 12. She runs an under-3-hour marathon. And she’s prepping for the 2028 Olympics.
• William Shatner has performed for decades, but he also loves horses and is designing a watch.
• How explorers found Amelia Earhart’s watery grave. Or did they?

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Visitors on the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail got a rare sight when Peninsular bighorn sheep walked down from the mountain to eat the growing vegetation and drink water from the fountain near the parking lot.

(Raul Roa/Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🌸🌻 This popular SoCal hiking spot is bursting with wildflowers — and bighorn sheep.
• 🖼️ You’ll want to plan your whole month around these 11 free museum days in L.A.
• 🥾The challenge: Trek from Carson City to Canada. You could make $5,000.
• 🎤 Nine great non-Kanye acts to see at Rolling Loud this weekend.

Staying in

• 📺 Why your favorite streaming shows are showing up on old-fashioned TV.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for vegan shiitake jiaozi with black vinegar dipping sauce.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

What record Billie Eilish set at the 2024 Oscars plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor

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